Pedestrian perception alert systems utilizing three dimensional features are known in the art. However, three dimensional detection systems require the use of range sensors such as radar, sonar, laser or the like. Further, three dimensional detection systems require robust computing platforms capable of fusing the three dimensional data with a two dimensional video camera image.
Pedestrian detection utilizing two dimensional video image analyses is also known. However, current analysis of two dimensional pedestrian detection systems are configured to process the two dimensional image so as to ascertain the presence of a pedestrian. Upon detecting a pedestrian, the two dimensional pedestrian detection systems will identify the location of the detected pedestrian and/or alert the driver. However, without additional three dimensional features, current systems may provide a lot of false positives. Further, current two dimensional pedestrian detection systems do not address the difficulty that a driver may have in visually perceiving a pedestrian. Thus, by alerting the driver that visual perception is difficult, the driver may be able to ascertain with better certainty, whether a pedestrian detection alert is a false positive.
Further, current two dimensional pedestrian detection systems do not take into account pedestrian behavior as a factor for generating a clutter value. Though it is known to project the movement of a pedestrian in subsequent video image so as to facilitate the detection of a pedestrian in two dimensional space, current systems do not consider how the movement or location of a pedestrian affects a driver's ability to see the pedestrian.
Accordingly, it remains desirable to have a system and method for alerting the driver in instances where visual detection of a pedestrian is difficult. Further, it remains desirable to have a system and method utilizing two-dimensional video imagery for alerting the driver in instances where visual detection of a pedestrian is difficult. Further, it remains desirable to have a system and method wherein pedestrian behavior is calculated into determining the difficulty of perceiving a pedestrian.